chapter 14

‘Here we are, Doctor. I’d like you to meet my…daughter, Nicole.

Looking surprised, the gorgeous man strode across to Nicole, reaching out his hand. As their fingers touched, Nicole felt something akin to an electric charge run through her body and she couldn’t let go. Finally, after what seemed minutes but was only seconds, he released her hand.

‘Hi, Ben Tostevin. I’ve the honour of looking after this lovely lady.’ He smiled at Eve.

‘Hi, Doctor. Nice to meet you.’ She still felt dazed by what had happened. The only time she’d felt anything remotely similar was when she’d first met Tom. But that had been nothing compared to…

‘Please call me Ben. After all, you’re not my patient.’ He smiled warmly and Nicole wondered if he could have felt the same reaction. Had it been the proverbial coup de foudre for both of them?

Ben, meanwhile, went across to sit on the other side of Eve, asking her how she was.

‘I’m not too bad, Doctor. Just a bit of a cold.’

‘Mm, well I’ll take a good look at you after I’ve had some tea.’ His eyes crinkled up as he smiled at Eve.

Hélène poured more tea and passed around the chocolate cake. There was a momentary silence as tea was sipped and thoughts gathered. Nicole tried not to stare at Ben, drinking in his grey eyes, strong jaw and short brown hair as she peeped over her tea cup. She felt a crazy desire to kiss his firm mouth.

Hélène put down her cup and faced Ben. ‘I…I had Nicole after a relationship ended so offered her up for adoption. It seemed the best choice at the time.’ Smiling at Nicole she continued, ‘Fortunately for me, she tracked me down and she’s staying for a few days while we get to know each other better.’

Ben looked at the three women before replying. ‘Well, I’m pleased for you, Hélène. And, of course, for you too Mrs Ferbrache.’

‘Yes, it was quite a surprise, Doctor. But a nice one,’ Eve replied, looking at Nicole, who squirmed in her chair, feeling uncomfortable with three pairs of eyes on her.

Hélène suggested that she and Nicole should leave and Nicole was only too pleased to agree, helping to load up the trolley. While piling up the plates by the sink – no such thing as a dishwasher installed here – she said, as casually as she could, ‘The doctor seems nice. Has he been treating Grandmother long?’

Hélène, pulling on rubber gloves, replied, ‘Yes, he is. I think all his patients adore him. And he’s been very good with Mother over the past five years, taking over when the old one retired. He was the first doctor to spot that Mother’s heart wasn’t too good.’

Nicole was drying a tea cup and put it down carefully on the side before saying, ‘I guess being a GP keeps him pretty busy. I don’t suppose his family would see much of him.’

‘Actually, I don’t think he’s married. Probably too busy to meet someone,’ she said lightly.

Nicole murmured a neutral ‘I see,’ while continuing to dry a plate within an inch of its life.

 

***

Meanwhile, Ben was finishing his examination of Eve. He looked serious as he packed away his stethoscope.

‘Your heart is worse than when I last saw you, Mrs Ferbrache. I do wish you’d reconsider having that operation I recommended. It could give you a new lease of life.’

Eve, buttoning up her cardigan, looked up at him, seeing the genuine concern in his eyes. She sighed. ‘I’m sorry, I know you must think I’m a foolish old woman, and you’re probably right. But I don’t want my body cut open and plastic bits inserted into my heart. You told me that as long as I avoided infections and exerting myself then I could be good for a few more years yet. I’ll take my chance.’

‘All right. But what about this granddaughter of yours? Isn’t she a good enough reason to want to be more active? To live longer?’

That hurt. But Eve smiled to hide what she really felt. ‘Well, she might be, but today is only the second time I’ve met her. She might decide she doesn’t much like us and return to England. I didn’t even know of her existence until two weeks ago.’

Ben’s eyebrows shot up. ‘What! You mean Hélène never told you she’d had a child?’

‘No, she’s good at keeping secrets.’ And she’s not the only one, Eve fidgeted in her chair. Am I going to have to come clean now as well? She sighed inwardly. ‘She only told me after Nicole traced her through the Adoption Agency in Jersey.’

Ben continued re-packing his bag, looking thoughtful.

‘It seems odd that Nicole has only just wanted to find her mother. She must be in her thirties.’

‘She’s thirty-five. Apparently she’s recently separated from her husband and decided to try and find her natural mother. Wanted to trace her roots. That’s what she told Hélène.’

Ben seemed to be absorbing this.

‘Well, Doctor, are you going to give me another prescription or aren’t you?’

He’d unwittingly packed away his prescription pad and hastily recovered it.

‘Sorry. Here you are,’ he handed Eve a scribbled prescription. ‘That should help but I’d still like you to think about that operation. At this stage, drugs can only do so much.’ He fixed her with an almost fierce stare.

Eve thanked him and said she’d think about it.

 

***

Hélène came out of the kitchen and, seeing Ben accompanied him to the front door.

‘How’s my mother, Doctor? And I want the truth, please.’

‘She’s very poorly. Even this infection is weakening her heart but she still refuses to have the op. Perhaps you can talk some sense into her.’

‘I’ll try, but if she still refuses to consider it, how… long before…?’

Ben frowned. ‘A year at the most and could be a lot less. I don’t understand why she’s being so stubborn. It’s as if she’s afraid of going into hospital.’

‘She is afraid. Her husband – my father ˗ went in for what should have been a routine op and never came out.’ Hélène choked back a tear at the awful memory. She and her mother had arrived at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital a few hours after her father’s operation, bearing his favourite flowers from the garden. On arrival they had been ushered into a small room and told that Reg had suffered a cardiac arrest only moments before. Eve had gone white with shock and Hélène had burst into tears.

Even though it had happened seven years ago, Hélène was still affected by what had happened. She took a calming breath and was opening the front door when Nicole came into the hall. She was on her way to join them when Ben said goodbye to Hélène, gave Nicole a nod, and left.